The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-11
ARIZONA TERRITORY.
Interesting Letter from Our
Southern NeighbOr.
PROFESSOR CUsHING's WORK.
Startling Discoveries Among the
Remains OF the Ancient
Aztics-Etc.

ant discoveries concerning prehistoric
races have been made during the last
year by Professor Frank Cushing, who
has charge of an exploring expedition
in southern Arizona. He was occupied
in the Salt River Valley the last
summer. The Salt River Valley is the
most fertile region in Arizona. 1t lies
about eighty miles northwest of Tucson
on either side of the Salt River, me- i
where it joins the ella. Father Keno
made explorations there about 1887
when he Travelled through Arizona to
establish Jesuit missions, and he speaks
of it as having a considerable popula
ton OF Indians who haYe since become
known as the Pimas and Maricopas
But he discovered traces of a heavy
population that had existed long before
and that had become extenct. Among
the evidences were old irrigating canals,
ruins of buildings and stone utensils
both for war and domestic use.
| Professor Cushing, it will be remem-
bered by many, was for some time iden-
tilted with researches connected with
the Zuni Indians of Colorado. He lived
nine years with the Zunis, acquired
: perfect mastery of their language, has
written many interesting articles about
them, and has had personal charge of
! two delegations of them that have
visited the east. Mr.. Cushing has a
strong passion for Indian lore, whether
it be of the present or prehistoric time !:
and in his enthusiasm and energy,
coupled with very exhaustive Informs
ton on kindred topics, the scientific
world is very greatly indebted.
MIR. Gushing has been at work several
months on the ruins of Salt River VAL
ley, and had the pleasure of making
him visit IN the early part of August.
A friend and | arrived at his camp
early in the morning. hoping to get in
before breakfast, as We had slept on the
plain the night before, and no house
was within many miles. The country
Immediately surrounding was as
level as the bosom of a lake,
but about on the outside were
groups of mountains rising abruptly
from the plain, and looking like pic
lures against the sky in the fresh light
of the morning. Mesquite groves ten
or fifteen feet high, were scattered
about like trees In an orchard, bearing
wonderful and constantly deceptive
resemblance to growth that had been
trained by the hand of man. It is q
characteristic OF the mesquite groves of
Arizona, though as wild as the sage
brush itself, or the gamma grass upon
which the buffalo fed when they had an
undistured domain from Dakota to
Texas.
Mr.. Cushing's camp looked more like
Aa
abode of scientific expedition. There
was a central tent of large size, which
was evidently the headquarters, and a
half dozen smaller tents staked off a.
convenient distances. The people were
already astlr, the cook was busy about
breakfast. the grooms were feeding
group OF tine-looking horses and mules,
and slender-looking young man in
corduroy knee-breeches, high moe
casins and white flannel shirt, whom l
at once took to be Mr.. Cushing him
self, was pushing about with great
activity. 1t was q very busy look
ing place, and the sight of it
was q most welcome one, for we
had travelled many miles over the bar
rem plains without seeing q sign of hu-
man hebitstion: Mr.. Cushing is acting
under authority of the Smithsonian In
stitntion, and everything about his
camp had the appearance of being pros
porous and well cared for. We felt like
We had got back under the sheItering
arms of the government. The big blauk
mules, the trim, well-buIlt wagons, the
white, strong tents, the abundance of
food for man aad beast, and the ever
beautiful American flag floating over
all, made up a particularly inspiring
spectacle, and gave US q patriotic i'm
pulse that one could feel only in such
wild, untrodden region as Arizona. We
were W lcomed most heartily by Mr..
Gushing and his assistants. He carries
quite little company with him. First
are his wife and her sister-tWo very
charming looking ladies; then an en-
gineer, an amsnuensiS, cook, two or
three grooms and general workmen, !
ging for remains of the lost tribes. One |
lone tent was given up to the remains
that had been found. These were being |
labeled and packed away in |
boxes for shipment to the Smithsonian |
Institution. .E.--
But what had he foundf A great |
deal. His discoveries had been almost |
startling.
His camp was at the edge of what had
evidently been a city of considerable
size, and about 300 yards away was the |
citadel or fortress of the city. We |
walked over to this citadel an took &
general survey from that point. It had
evidently been bnilding of consider
able size and strength, probably several
stories high, and had its foundation
laid deep in the earth. The material
used in its construction was sun. dried |
clay, the same as that used by the Mex
leans of the lower and middle classes;
and before Mr.. Gushing began his ex-
plorations there was nothing to mark |
its whereabouts except sort of oblong |
hillock or mound. Little of the walls |
above the foundation was found intact,
but the ground plan could be traced in
every detail, as well as the lines of the
outer walls. The rooms were of differ
entsizes, and seemed to have been con-
structed with much architectural skill. |
A number of smaller apartments had |
undoubtedly been constructed for burial |
vaults, for when they were opened 10 |
skeletons werz found in them, the |
heads being invariably to the east. In |
one of these vaults was the skeleton OF |
a child. Mr.. Gushing was of the opin-
ion that the building had been a sort of